Edinburgh City Centre Transformation would create a vibrant city that puts people first

February 21, 2019, 8:58 am

≫ Next: The health benefits of an active commute

Shared spaces, cycle lanes and traffic calming proposals for Lothian Road. Image credit: Jacobs

Artist's impression of what Lothian Road could look like.

Street full of people on Edinburgh's Cowgate. Image credit: Jacobs

Artist's impression of the proposals for The Cowgate.

Led by Sustrans Deputy Director Daisy Narayanan, City of Edinburgh Council is launching proposals for an ambitious City Centre Transformation.

Daisy has been seconded to Edinburgh for the past year and Sustrans has been delighted with the close relationship we enjoy with the City Council. The transformation is a large scale project that aims, as the name suggests, to transform Scotland’s capital, putting people first in the heart of the city.

Residents should feel justly proud of Edinburgh as a global city and international tourist destination. It’s also where I live and where Sustrans Scotland has its head office. However, as with so many old cities that have grown organically over hundreds of years, it’s also a dense and sometimes confusing place when it comes to street layouts and priorities. In addition, we feel that over the past 60 years the city has given way too much priority, time and planning to private motor use.

Cities can’t stand still: they need to change and adapt. Especially when you take into account that Edinburgh is the fastest growing city in Scotland with a projected population of 600,000 (up from just under 500,000 today) by 2040.

Proposals that prioritise people over vehicles with pedestrianised thoroughfares, quiet and open spaces and wide-scale traffic calming measures would make the city safer, healthier and greener. Creating a more welcoming environment for everyone.

Starting in May 2019, initiatives like Open Streets are a great stepping stone. Following other cities around the world Edinburgh will be the first in the UK to close selected streets to traffic on the first Sunday of every month making them 'open' to people.

The examples shown in the Edinburgh City Centre Transformation report are exactly the type of changes that need to happen if Edinburgh is going to improve its transport network and return the city to its citizens and its visitors, making it a pleasant and vibrant place to be. We not only want to be learning from other great cities worldwide but to be leading the way.

This is the first step in what can be a long and complicated process. The evidence certainly suggests residents want change (of the over 5000 people responding to the consultation as part of ‘Connecting our City, Transforming our Places’, 88% said they wanted to see changes to the way the city centre is managed of which 51% said they wanted radical change).

Our own Bike Life Edinburgh report, published in 2017, revealed that 80% of residents support building more protected roadside cycle lanes, even when this could mean less space for other road traffic. And if people come on board and engage with the consultation process, together we can make a city for the future rather than being mired in the past.

Funded by the Scottish Government, Sustrans is a key partner with City of Edinburgh Council providing skills, knowledge and experience in developing the City Centre Transformation.

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The health benefits of an active commute

February 27, 2019, 2:30 am

≫ Next: Joanna Ward on women and cycling

≪ Previous: Edinburgh City Centre Transformation would create a vibrant city that puts people first

Walking and cycling to work can benefit physical and mental health

Kieran Turner, Research Assistant in the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre at The University of Edinburgh, summarises research on the benefits of building physical activity into your daily commute, and advocates taking part in the Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge as a fun initiative to encourage workers to start, and continue, commuting more actively.

The fourth annual Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge will take place from 1-31 March 2019. This interactive scheme encourages people working in Scotland to commute more actively and sustainably, whether by walking, cycling, using public transport or car-sharing, reducing the number of journeys they make individually by car. Commuting more actively can benefit both physical and mental health, in turn resulting in happier and more productive staff.

Health benefits

Aside from the prizes available throughout the Challenge, there are plenty of reasons to take part and to incorporate more activity into your commute. There are several well established physical health benefits resulting from being physically active. Research from the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre (PAHRC), at The University of Edinburgh, indicates that walking and cycling at current recommended levels (150 minutes per week at moderate to vigorous intensity) can achieve risk reductions in premature mortality of 11% and 10% respectively¹. Walking and cycling also reduce risk factors for diseases such as cardiovascular disease, some cancers, and Type II diabetes². Other recent research from PAHRC has focused on the relationship between health benefits achieved from active travel, and the harm caused by exposure to air pollution³. This research has shown that, apart from in the most extremely polluted environments, the health benefits attained from travelling actively far outweigh the harms caused by air pollution.

There is also growing interest around the mental health benefits that can be achieved from physical activity; recent PAHRC research shows there is evidence for the effectiveness of walking in preventing and treating depression and anxiety⁴. Despite the health benefits of being physically active, 35% of Scottish adults do not reach the recommended levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity⁵. Increasing rates of active commuting would likely contribute to more of the Scottish population achieving the recommended levels of physical activity.

Environmental impact

As well as the substantial health benefits to be gained from building physical activity into our daily lives, there are also very important environmental implications resulting from how we travel. Recent figures for the UK (2017) reveal that the transport sector is responsible for 27% of greenhouse gases emissions, the most of any sector⁶. Whilst an overall reduction of nearly 42% in these emissions has been observed since 1990, the transport sector has contributed only a very small proportion of this overall reduction (2%)⁷.

Making the change

Immediate action is needed in moving people from private motorised vehicles to active modes of travel, from walking and cycling to using a ‘commuter scooter’ (even kayaking was recorded as a method of travel in last year’s Challenge!). For those journeys where active travel is not feasible, it is of vital importance that there are extensive and affordable public transport networks in place. Taking public transport itself allows for health benefits, as walking or cycling to and from bus stops or train stations can help you in reaching the recommended amount of physical activity⁸.

The Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge is an innovative way to help the Scottish workforce build physical activity in to their daily lives, and PAHRC will be watching its progress with interest!

Sign up for free to the Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge.

Find out more about the work of the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre.

1 Kelly, P., Kahlmeier, S., Götschi, T., Orsini, N., Richards, J., Roberts, N., ... & Foster, C. (2014). Systematic review and meta-analysis of reduction in all-cause mortality from walking and cycling and shape of dose response relationship. International journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 11(1), 132.

2 Public Health England. (2018). Cycling and walking for individual and population health benefits: A rapid evidence review for health and care system decision-makers. London.

3 Tainio, M., de Nazelle, A. J., Götschi, T., Kahlmeier, S., Rojas-Rueda, D., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. & Woodcock, J. (2016). Can air pollution negate the health benefits of cycling and walking?. Preventive Medicine, 87, 233-236.

4 Kelly, P., Williamson, C., Niven, A. G., Hunter, R., Mutrie, N., & Richards, J. (2018). Walking on sunshine: scoping review of the evidence for walking and mental health. Br J Sports Med, 52(12), 800-806.

5 Strain, T., Fitzsimons, C., Foster, C., Mutrie, N., Townsend, N., & Kelly, P. (2016). Age-related comparisons by sex in the domains of aerobic physical activity for adults in Scotland. Preventive medicine reports, 3, 90-97.

6 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. (2019). 2017 UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions. London.

7 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. (2019). 2017 UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions. London.

8 Besser, L. M., & Dannenberg, A. L. (2005). Walking to public transit: steps to help meet physical activity recommendations. American journal of preventive medicine, 29(4), 273-280.

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Joanna Ward on women and cycling

March 20, 2019, 7:34 am

≫ Next: Employers urged to sign-up to the Active Travel Challenge

≪ Previous: The health benefits of an active commute

woman speaking to small audience in meeting room

Joanna addressing the attendees of the Women and Cycling Roundtable

In March 2019, Sustrans Research and Monitoring Unit held a roundtable discussion on women and cycling to determine what needs to happen next.

We invited a broad cross-section of speakers and guests who had an understanding of the issues around the lack of women cycling in our towns and cities. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing the insights we gained.

One speaker was Joanna Ward, a Transport Planner from Waterman Group in Nottingham. Here are her perspectives:

In 2018, Sustrans published the report ‘Are we nearly there yet?’ which examined the role of gender in active travel.

The findings were shocking and included the following;

Most political committees and advisory boards have less than 15% female membership and none have equal representation (Transgen, 2007)

The report also found there is a lack of evidence to show how women participate in creating transport policy and planning in the UK. Currently, transport has the lowest percentage of women in senior posts within the public sector in Scotland, with women representing only 6.25% heads of transport bodies. In addition, the transport sector accounts for only 22% of female workers UK-wide.

In fact, the number of women working in transport has declined since the Sustrans report was published. The latest data shows we're now down to 20% of the transport workforce being women.

It is well-known that half the population are women. We all use the same transport infrastructure, so how can it only be designed and planned by half of the population?

I welcomed the news that Sustrans Scotland had decided to follow up on the report and hold a ‘Women and Cycling Roundtable’ to examine the issues further and discuss what actions could be put in place to improve the situation.

I was even more thrilled when they not only invited me to attend the event in Edinburgh, but to speak about my experiences of working in the transport planning sector for the last twenty years.

I started my role in Transport Planning in 1998 and have been lucky enough to work for mostly open-minded and positive public, private and charity sector organisations for a wide client base; although back in the late 1990s, things were not very gender-balanced in the transport sector, but I’ve never let this put me off.

However, I did some work last summer further examining how much things had changed but, again, I was a bit shocked to observe there wasn’t a huge difference.

This brought up some clear memories from a couple of years into my career, when I worked in the Highways Maintenance at a Local Authority, and I went to a well-established conference on this topic. Walking into the conference hall, I realised I was not only the youngest person in the room, but also one of only two females at the event! What must the other delegates have thought?

So, I’ve since been actively taking notice at meetings and conferences that I’ve attended to observe where the gender-balance of attendees can be improved!

It was interesting that delegates at the event last week in Edinburgh didn’t over-congratulate themselves that the event was happening, in fact they immediately noted those who weren’t in the room and the need for those with different background to be included in discussions on transport, as well as the further work that needs to be done to achieve this.

I noted there were around 40 delegates in attendance, both female and male, who wanted to discuss these issues further.

It was chaired by Sara Thiam (Director of the Institution of Civil Engineers Scotland) and presentations were provided by Sustrans, Dr Rachel Aldred, Jools Walker and myself, covering a wide range of topics / issues and giving much food for thought.

I was then delighted to chair one of the break-out sessions looking at ‘Women’s Representation in Transport Planning’ where we discussed ‘the Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ of being a woman in the transport field. I can safely say that all those elements were there!

There is still so much to do to make transport at any level more equal for all but that's the thing with transport planning, it doesn't exist by itself, but for the movement of people and goods. Those movements need to fit within everyone's expectations and needs otherwise you are alienating half the population.

With this, I'm heralding a rallying cry of sorts to all of you:

the women who work in transport planning
the men who work in transport planning
everyone who needs to get themselves anywhere using transport.

We need to refocus on how our transport can be planned, built and used for everyone, and that means engaging with the whole population. I see that my role is to keep these conversations and discussions going.

The real work starts now, but how do we carry on this discussion in a positive way to ensure more women and others get involved in transport, ensuring that it is planned and designed for everyone?

Joanna Ward is a Principal Transport Planner for Waterman Group.

Videos of the speeches from the keynote speakers at the Women and Cycling roundtable

Find out more about Jools Walker's perspective of the event

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Employers urged to sign-up to the Active Travel Challenge

April 4, 2019, 6:42 am

≫ Next: How to look ready for work after cycling

≪ Previous: Joanna Ward on women and cycling

4 April 2019

Launching the Active Travel Challenge 2019, L to R: Lynda Hurley, DfI, David Tumilty, PHA, Una Carson, Translink & Krysten Maier, Sustrans Active Travel Officer (L~Derry)

The Active Travel Challenge is open to all workplaces as represented here: the office worker, transport worker, chef and builder

Business groups came out in support of the Challenge - N.Ireland Chamber of Commerce, Business in the Community, Translink, Belfast City Council and the CBI.

Employers across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to sign-up to the Active Travel Challenge for a healthier and more environmentally-friendly commute.

We have joined forces with public transport provider Translink, the Department for Infrastructure and Public Health Agency to launch the new initiative.

Throughout June, employers are asked to encourage staff to leave the car at home and walk, cycle or take public transport for their journeys to, from and during work. Participants log their ‘active travel’ journeys online and can compete with colleagues and other companies to see who makes the most journeys.

Each week of the month will have a different ‘active travel’ theme with a range of prizes and incentives up for grabs to motivate employees to join the challenge.

“Around one third of the journeys we make every day are less than two miles – a distance that could be walked or cycled. ”

- Lynda Hurley, Department for Infrastructure

Steven Patterson, Sustrans Delivery Manager, said: “Many commuters spend a large chunk of their day sitting in traffic jams. We believe you can combine active travel into all or part of your daily commute. We are really keen to attract the ordinary, mainly sedentary worker to take part and enjoy the difference that getting active as part of your daily routine can make to your life. The Active Travel Challenge is a great way to get started.”

Themed active travel weeks

Encouraging organisations to get involved, Translink’s Employee Support Officer Una Carson said: “Following the success of Translink’s Corporate Challenge over the past 3 years which saw employers encourage staff to use the bus or train for their daily commute, we have set the bar even higher in 2019, joining with partner agencies to deliver a month-long active travel challenge that kicks off with Bus + Train Week.

“Research shows that people who take public transport are more active, clocking up additional steps and burning more calories as they walk to and from the bus or train. By incentivising staff to travel more actively throughout June, employers can help improve the health and wellbeing of workers, whilst reducing traffic congestion and creating better air quality for everyone who lives here.”

Brendan Bonner, Assistant Director of Public Health, Health Improvement at the PHA, said: “Building active travel into your working day through walking and cycling can help contribute to meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ recommended amount of physical activity of 150 minutes each week.

“Research shows that people who are physically active can reduce their risk of developing chronic conditions including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer and respiratory conditions. It can also improve sleep, help maintain a healthy weight and reduce stress and anxiety.”

Lynda Hurley, Safe and Sustainable Travel Division in the Department for Infrastructure, said: “Encouraging people to make sustainable travel choices is a key ambition in the draft Programme for Government and the Department is committed to working collaboratively with others to increase the number of people walking, cycling and using public transport.

"Around one-third of all journeys we make every day are less than two miles – a distance that could be walked or cycled. A further one-third of journeys are less than five miles. One small change can make a big difference. Challenge yourself to get active and start enjoying the benefits.”

Challenge registration is FREE and there is a range of fantastic prizes up for grabs including shopping vouchers, sports watches and Translink tickets.

Find out more about signing up to the Active Travel Challenge or email us

Keep up-to-date with all the latest ATC action on social media using #GetMeActiveNI

Location:

Northern Ireland

How to look ready for work after cycling

April 29, 2019, 4:29 am

≫ Next: Belcycle is back - Belfast’s cycling festival returns to CS Lewis Square

≪ Previous: Employers urged to sign-up to the Active Travel Challenge

29 April 2019

A male cyclist riding through London with other cyclists in the background

Cycling to work is becoming more common across the UK

Cyclists riding along a cycling track in London while buses pass in the background

With careful preparation and the right equipment, you can arrive from your cycling commute looking ready for work

Cycling commuters are growing in numbers. More people than ever before choosing to ditch the car, hop off the train and swerve the bus. Whether you’re a cycling novice or a seasoned pro, the idea of cycling to work comes with multiple issues. Dealing with traffic and tackling roundabouts are legitimate worries, but what about when you get to work? How do you turn up at your desk without being soaked in sweat and looking like you’ve been dragged backwards through a hedge? Don’t worry, we have the answers.

Keep rollin’

If your work requires that you dress smartly, creasing your clothes is a major concern when it comes to cycling in. However, thankfully, plenty of high street retailers are now stocking anti-crease clothing that is perfect for packing into those panniers. But, for those of you who are yet to update your wardrobe, tightly rolling your work clothes is the perfect way to combat creasing and turn up to work looking fresh as a daisy rather than like a crumpled sweet wrapper.

Get the right gear

In order to ensure you arrive at work looking as professional as you can, you need to get yourself the right gear. A well-fitted bike, breathable clothing, panniers, sunglasses or goggles and a supply of liquid will give you the best chance of achieving your mission. Whatever you do, make sure that you have picked up the right equipment before setting off on your bike - failure to do so could leave you with egg on your face.

Plan ahead

Organisation is key when it comes to an active commute. In order to look ready for work after cycling, you need to plan ahead. Check the weather before you leave, have a look at traffic on your route and make sure that your bags are packed with everything you need the night before. Not planning ahead will lead to mistakes and no one wants that. Be organised. Be aware. Be prepared.

Baby wipes

Some offices don't have shower facilities and sometimes you are just running late. Whatever your reason for not being able to wash at work, you need to have a backup plan in place. While you might like the aroma of your own natural scent, your colleagues may not be as appreciative. Make sure that you carry a pack of baby wipes and a deodorant with you during your cycle to work. A quick wipe down and a freshen up will leave you looking and smelling ready for action (even if you don't feel it!)

Save your sweat

It may be tempting to channel your inner Mark Cavendish and whizz down to work at top speed, but you're better off saving your energy for your ride home. Taking it easy on your morning commute will mean that you arrive to work less stressed and with less preparation to carry out once you are through those office doors. If you want to exert some energy while on your bike, peddle hard on your ride home. Not only will it burn some calories, but you'll also get more time on the sofa - win-win!

Find out more about how to confidentally commute to work by bike

Location:

UK-wide

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Belcycle is back - Belfast’s cycling festival returns to CS Lewis Square

May 13, 2019, 6:35 am

≫ Next: New website provides active travel solutions for workplaces

≪ Previous: How to look ready for work after cycling

13 May 2019

Loraine Patterson with twin daughters Grace and Lily at CS Lewis Square

Belcycle is back. Belfast’s family-friendly festival dedicated to all things cycling will take place on Saturday 15 June at CS Lewis Square in east Belfast. Be inspired to get on your bike – whatever your age or ability and join in the FREE festival.

There will be bikes of all shapes and sizes to test ride on the day including tandems, a side-by-side bike and balance bikes. You can join in activities such as children’s cycle training, including the ever-popular ‘Ditch the Stabilisers’ sessions. There will also be bike maintenance workshops to help you deal with punctures, as well as led rides, giant outdoor games and a slow bike race.

Pick up advice and tips from local cycling retailers on bikes, clothing and accessories, as well as information on cycling adventures, holidays, clubs and events. There will be lots of competitions and spot prizes and no festival would be complete without some tasty food and refreshments including a BBQ.

Ashley Hunter, Sustrans Northern Ireland Director said: “This is a fun festival for all the family focusing on cycling. Leisure and commuting cycling has increased across Belfast with more people realising not only the health and environmental benefits of cycling but also how convenient, cheap and fun it is to travel by bike.

“We know that 71% of residents say Belfast would be a better place to live and work if more people cycled which is why our work to encourage more people to cycle is so important. Events like Belcycle bring people together, to celebrate all things cycling.”

CS Lewis Square is the ideal location for the festival as it is where the Comber and Connswater Community Greenways intersect. The square is also home to Sustrans Active Travel Hub, an EU-funded CHIPS project that encourages commuters in east Belfast to try alternatives to the car such as public transport, or cycling and walking. Sustrans will be at the Festival to offer travel advice, route planning, cycle training and fun pedal-powered activities such as a bike smoothie-maker and paint-spinner.

So bring your family, friends and a picnic for a free fun-filled day that will keep the whole family entertained.

Belcycle will run from 11am to 3pm on Saturday 15 June at CS Lewis Square, east Belfast. There will be a provision of on-site cycle parking and it is well connected to the city centre by bus or Glider from the nearby Newtownards Road.

Find out more about Belcycle and how to get involved

Location:

Northern Ireland

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New website provides active travel solutions for workplaces

May 28, 2019, 1:11 am

≫ Next: Sustrans response to new Cycle to Work Scheme

≪ Previous: Belcycle is back - Belfast’s cycling festival returns to CS Lewis Square

28 May 2019

Sustrans Scotland is collaborating with a number of active and sustainable travel organisations to launch a new website to promote active travel.

Way to Work is a new, free, online tool for workplaces in Scotland. Officially launching on Tuesday 28 May, the Way to Work website helps workplaces in Scotland support staff to travel by foot, bike, public transport or car share.

Way to Work showcases information from nine active and sustainable travel organisations, linking directly to their own websites for more information. These organisations offer a range of support to encourage employees to walk and cycle to work, or to commute or do business travel in a more sustainable way. The website collates funding, training, support, awards, challenges, competitions and travel planning from across Scotland into one place.

It also features inspiring case studies and the latest active and sustainable travel news.

With funding from Transport Scotland, Way to Work is delivered by Sustrans Scotland in partnership with the Workplace Sustainable Travel Delivery Group:

CoMo UK
Cycling Scotland
Energy Saving Trust
Healthy Working Lives
Living Streets
NHS Health Scotland
Paths for All
Travelknowhow Scotland

Grace Martin, Director, Sustrans Scotland, said:

“The new Way to Work website offers a one stop shop for workplaces to access sustainable travel news and offers. Making it easier for employers and employees to find information that can make an impact at their workplace.

“Following exercise you arrive at work more alert and ready to face the day ahead. Evidence shows that active travel can have a positive impact on your physical and mental wellbeing. We know that people who travel actively to work are fitter, healthier, happier and less likely to take sick days.”

Find out more at Way to Work

Location:

Scotland

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Sustrans response to new Cycle to Work Scheme

June 10, 2019, 1:39 am

≫ Next: Double boost for cycling in Londonderry

≪ Previous: New website provides active travel solutions for workplaces

10 June 2019

man in shirt and tie with his bike outside an office. copyright Sustrans

Responding to the Government’s updates to the Cycle to Work Scheme, Xavier Brice Chief Executive at Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity, said:

“We warmly welcome the new Cycle to Work Scheme guidance published today which highlights the UK Government’s ambition to make cycling an activity for everyone.

“Removing the cap an employee can spend on a bike will open up cycling to more people, enabling them to purchase specially adapted or electric cycles, which was not previously possible due to their high cost.

“Encouraging more people to get on bikes means that more people can enjoy the National Cycle Network. Sustrans is busy making paths on the Network more suitable for everyone by removing 16,000 barriers, as well as increasing the number of people who can actively travel to work with a smile on their face.

“There’s no doubt that cycling is good for our health and the environment which is why we would like all employers and their workforces to take full advantage of the Scheme. In future we would like to see similar schemes on offer for those not in work so that more people can access cycles no matter their age or employment status.”

For further information, images and interviews, please contact:

Anna Galandzij, Senior Press Officer at Sustrans, anna.galandzij@sustrans.org.uk, 07557 915648
Liv Denne, Press and Media Officer at Sustrans, liv.denne@sustrans.org.uk, 07768 035318.

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UK-wide

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Double boost for cycling in Londonderry

June 12, 2019, 5:23 am

≫ Next: Sustrans invite you to ditch the car for Clean Air Day

≪ Previous: Sustrans response to new Cycle to Work Scheme

12 June 2019

Three people holding ipad showing cycle map

Mayor Micheala Boyle at launch of a new online cycle and greenways map with Emma Hagger Sustrans Active Travel Officer and Mike Savage Greenways Development Officer, DCSDC

Cycling in Derry~Londonderry got a double boost with two new resources launched in Bike Week (8-16 June).

A new online map was launched by Derry and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) which marks out all local cycling routes, bike parking and useful cycling facilities such as bike repair stations.

Launching the new resource, Derry City and Strabane District Mayor, Councillor Michaela Boyle, said it would be a really valuable guide for people who cycle, especially those new to the area.

“I’m delighted to see the launch of the online map which offers quick and easy access to the latest information on all our local greenways, park cycle paths, shared use paths and on road cycle lanes in our District,” she declared.

“Making it easier for people to travel in a more active way is a key objective for Council as it’s good for our environment, reducing congestion and carbon emissions. And it’s great for people’s physical and mental health.

“With our ever-expanding traffic-free greenway network and the development of our parks and green infrastructure we are making really positive strides towards developing a more sustainable region.”

New bike storage unit

Commuters who would like to cycle but don’t have access to a bike can now benefit from a new bike unit which has opened this week at Ebrington Square in the city.

Six new bikes will be available from the bike storage unit as part of the Leading The Way programme, funded by the Public Health Agency (PHA) in the north west. Sustrans delivers the programme to encourage commutes by cycling or walking to public sector staff from the Western Health and Social Care Trust, DCSDC and PHA.

Krysten Maier, Sustrans Active Travel Officer said: "We're really pleased to be able to extend the use of six new bikes to employees through the Leading the Way project. Ebrington is a wonderful public space in Derry and it will be a great meeting point for staff across the various organizations to come together for a range of cycle-based activities.

"With a close proximity to the Peace Bridge and Derry's extensive riverside greenway network, we're hoping this new bike storage unit will be a great way to break down some of the barriers that staff in the North West face when it comes to cycling and inspire them to get back on the bike more and more."

View the new cycling map by visiting the Council’s website

Find out more about our routes in Northern Ireland

To find out more about the Leading The Way programme contact Krysten.

Location:

Northern Ireland

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Sustrans invite you to ditch the car for Clean Air Day

June 19, 2019, 7:50 am

≪ Previous: Double boost for cycling in Londonderry

19 June 2019

Sustrans invite you to ditch the car for Clean Air Day on Thursday 20 June.

Sustrans are taking part in a wide range of activities across Northern Ireland to promote Clean Air Day on Thursday 20 June. Clean Air Day is a national campaign to raise awareness of the problems caused by poor air quality.

To mark the day, Sustrans are inviting people to ditch the car for the day and either walk, cycle or take public transport in an effort to lower air pollution levels. In East Belfast at CS Lewis Square you can take part in some fun activities including a pedal powered smoothie bike or a Geocache Walk and fill out a pledge card on what you will change for Clean Air Day.

The Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast continually has congestion and car parking problems that contribute to poor air quality in the area, Sustrans Workplaces team will be at the hospital and encouraging staff to walk, cycle to work or use public transport.

In Derry~Londonderry, Sustrans are supporting Derry City and Strabane District Council in their campaign to lower air pollution levels in the North West. There will be on-street promotions in both Strabane and at the Foyle Arena, as well as a lunchtime walk for Council staff.

Sustrans volunteers will also have a street presence in Armagh, which was found to have the worst particulate air pollution in Northern Ireland according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report in 2017. The WHO surveyed the air quality of the UK's 51 towns and cities. It found 44 failed the test for fine sooty particles smaller than 2.5 microns across that have been linked to heart disease and premature death.

Armagh was the worst in Northern Ireland with 14 micrograms per cubic metre. Belfast was next on 12 with Derry next on 11 micrograms per cubic metre. London and Leeds both had 15 micrograms of the particles in every cubic metre-sized parcel of air.

Air quality is becoming an increasing problem in towns and cities across Northern Ireland, it is not only damaging our environment but also our health. Every year, up to 36,000 people die from air pollution in the UK.[1]

Anne Madden from Sustrans said: “Road traffic is a major cause of air pollution which is damaging our health and the environment. We need urgent action by government to reduce air pollution. Governments need to do more to encourage less car use, invest in public transport and cycling infrastructure; and enable more people to walk and cycle for their everyday journeys. We believe government must take a “fewer not just cleaner” approach to motor traffic.”

There are some simple steps you can take that will have a big impact on the air you and your family breathes. Making cleaner travel choices is just one way to make the air cleaner and healthier for everyone. What will you pledge for Clean Air Day?

To learn more about how air pollution could be affecting you and your family’s health, visit www.cleanairday.org.uk and follow the campaign #CleanAirDay and #LoveAir on Twitter